Steel derrick



NOV. 2 l

W. A, TROUT STEEL vDERRIGK Filed May 14 1924 WMU/7M /7 Ewa?" i 5y l ff] r Taf/VEYS- Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

unire sTNrEs PATENT orifice.,

WILLIAM A. TROUT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T EMSCO DERRICK & EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A CORLPORATION 0F CALIFORNIA.

STEEL DERRICK.

Applicationl led May 14, 1924. Serial No. 713,323.

, My invention relates to 4derricks and is particularly applicable to steel derricks used inthe drilling of oil wells and the like. In the drilling of the well, it is subjected to a very heavy duty, in that it is used to lsupport the casing in the well, which is very heavy,

and in that it is called upon to take the heavy strains incident to pulling this casing in case it becomes frozen After the well is drilled, however, and the casing is set in place, the derrick is never called upon to lift suoli. excessive loads, `being ordinarily used merely for pumping and for handling h the tubing and rods.` 1f the-derrick is made suliciently'heavy to perform the heavy duty during the drilling period, it` will prove much heavier than is necessary for operation during the pumping period.

Some' companies have,A therefore, adopted the plan of making a heavy derrick which is utilized' during the drilling period, this derrick being dismantled and replaced by a light derrick which-is used during the pump-v ing period.l It is van object of my invention 5 to provide a derrick which may be used during the drilling period and which issuficiently strong to withstand any strains which may be'put thereon during that period, thisderrick being so constructed that a portion thereof can be removed after the drilling period, thereby greatly lightening the derrick and cutting down the investment therein. TliisI accomplish by providing, in

addition to the main legs of the derrick, certain auxiliary legs which are secured 'in place during the drilling period andwhich are removed at the conclusion of the drilling period, leaving the lighter construction for subsequentv pumping.

l have found that it is difficult where a double leg is used, that is to say, a leg oonsisting of a permanent main member and an auixilary removable member, tomake these legs each take their properlproportion of the' load, particularly lin a steel derrick which is the auxiliary legs to be used in derricks which sions.

made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing` which is for illustrative purposes onlyi Fig. 1 is an elevation. through a corner of `may have slightly different dimen- Further objects and advantages will be the derrick showing the auxiliary leg in place, the derrick being broken away to show only the upper andlower portions of the leo's. y

bFig. 2 is a section on a plane represented by the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section on a plane representedv by the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view on a much. smaller scale showing the location of the main and auxiliary legs.

-ln the form of the invention illustrated, four main legs 11 are provided,ythese legs consisting principally of angle iron and ex! tending from a foundation 12 up to a top structure 13, this top structure including the soecalled water table 141 of the derrick. The legs 11 are connected by cross members 15, 16l and 17.and by suitable'cross bracing, not shown, the general form of bracing used in an oil well derrick being preferablyfol-.

lowed. rlhe angle iron legs 11 are made amply strong to take care of any 'strain which may be imposed thereon during the pumping period of vthe well, butthey are not su'fciently strong to sustain the enormous loads Y necessarytonplacing or pulling casing or other operations during the drilling period of the well.r

For the purpose of reinforcing the legs 11 so that the derrickl may be used for drilling,

l provide auxiliary :legs 20. These legs preferably consist of' a heavy pipe section which fits at its upper end into a cap or socket 21, which may be` secured to the member 16 or to some other member in the upper portion of, the derrick. l the pipe 20 has a nut 22 fixed therein, preferably by being welded. rlhreaded` in the nut 22 is a screw 23. The screw 23 lits into a socket or lower thrust bearing 24., which is preferably secured by means of bolts 25 in* side `the derrick leg 11 near the bottom there of. A lock nut 26 is also threaded on tv-heli` Ilihe lower end ofl screw 23, the lock nut 26 and the screw-2 3' fil) being provided with holes 27, into which a round bar may be inserted for the purpose of turning them. A loose pipe member 2 8, sliding over the pipe and the nut 2Q, is

'provided for Covering the screw 23. This pipe may be lifted upwardly, sliding .freely over the pipe 2O to give access to the holes 27. The pipe leg Q0 is secured to the angle l1 at intervals by clamps 30, these clamps being for the purpose of tying the two legs together, so that one reinforces the other against buckling, the clamps being so arranged. however, that a limited vertical movement between the two legs is possible. I provide four of the pipe legs 20, placed as shown in Fig. 4, inside the :ingle legsll. The parts being erected as shown, it is possible to put any desired strain on each of the pipe legs Q0 by looseningr the nut 2G and turning the screw Q3. the amount of strain on each of the screws being readily judged by tlie resistance offered to turning of the screw. After each of the legs Q0 is suitably adjusted, the screws 23 are locked by means of the nuts 26. By the use. of my invention, it is possible to set up each of the auxiliary legs 2O so that they take a fairly definite proportion of the load duringthe drilling period. lVhenever the drilling period is over, it is possible to remove the auxiliary legs 20, thus leaving the light derrick for the subsequent pumping operations.

I claim as my invention:

l.`In a derrick, the combination of: a top structure; four main legs partially sup porting said top structure; four auxiliary legs also partially supporting said top structure; and means for regulating the load assumed by said' auxiliary legs.

2. In a derrick, the combination off a` top structure: four main legs partially supporting said top structure; four auxiliary also partially support-ing said top structure :yV and means in each of said auxiliary legs for regulating the load imposed on said leg.

3. In a derrick., the combination of: a main structure; auxiliary legs set in said main structure; and means for regulating the load impoed on each of said legs.

Lt. In a derrick, anl auxiliary leg strueture coinjirisingt ari-upper thrust member secured to the upper portion of the derrick; a lower thrust'member secured to Vthe lower portion of the derriclr; a leg vabutting at one end on one of said thrust members; and an adjustable member between the other end of .said leg and the other thrust member.

' 5. In la derrick, an auxiliary leg structure comprising: an upper thrustmember secured to the upper portion of the derrick; a lower thrust member secured to the lower portion of the derricli; a leg abutting at one end on one of said thrust members; land an adjusting screw through which the thrust of the yother end of said leg is transmitted to .the other of said thrust members.

6. In a derrick, the combination of: a top structure; four main legs partially supporting said top structure; four auxiliary legs also partially supporting said top structure; means for attaching each of said auxiliary legs at a plurality of points to one of said main legs; and means for' regulating he load assumed by said auxiliary legs. T.' In `a derrick, tlie combination of: a top structureg'foinmain legs partially supporting said'top structure; four auxiliary legs also partially supporting said top structure; means for attaching each of said auxiliary at a plurality of pointsv to one of said main legs; and means in each of said auxiliary' legs for regulating the load imposed on said leg.

In a steel der1'iel ,.the combination of: a top structure: an 4angle iron legpartially supporting said top structure; a pipe leg also partially supporting said top structure; and means for regulating the proportion ot' the total load taken by each of said leg?.

'9.' In a steel derriclr, the combination of: a lop structure: an angle iron leg partially supporting said top structure; a pipe leg also partially supporting said top structure; means for attaching said pipe leg to said angle iron leg at intervals in such a manner asl not tointerfere with a longitudinalmovement thereof; and means for regulating the proportion of the total load talrcn by each of said legs.

l0. A derriclt, including an inner leg and an outer leg: and means near the lower ends of .said outer and inner legs for shifting the loadfrom one leg to the other above .said

means.

ll. The combination with'la sectional reinforcing for derriclts of an expansible device adapted to engage ends' of adjacent leg sections, and means to expand and Contract the device to adjust the length of the leg.

l2.` The combination with a sectional reinforcing leg for derrieks of an expansible device adapted to engage ends ot adjacent leg sections, means to expand and contract the device to adjust tbe length of the leg, and means toloek the device in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof. I. bave hereunto set my hand at Los riingeles, California, this 28th day of April, 1924.

Wit/I. A. TROUT. 

